Distributor for air-borne fibers



Sept. 21, 1948. 1 J. D. DADDARIO 2,449,592

DISTRIBUTOR FOR AIR-BDRNE FIBERS Filed April 17, 1947 ure 1;

Patented Sept. 21, 1948 ms ramu'ron Foe ArasBrmNEtnIBE-ns; l r l l Joseph-D; Daddario,Franl ilin.Mass. "Application. April 1.7, 194%15ISe1iialeNnl1422181 2 Claims. (Cl. 19-146).

ber .with. a discharge; spout from .which a stream of air: issues; the stream;.being l clirectedtfrom. the spouhaimsuch; a manner [that .the. reaction force from.@the-rstreaim causes the member to rotate andthus Etc distributelithe-l fibers which are car.- ried by lthe air stream. v Accoudinge -tothe. in- Vention', 'ftioticnal; resistance ltonotation of the rotatabl-es member is; reduced to, .a- ,minimum by the employment of: especially :efiective. anti=friction bearings and these bearings are protected from;tb'eingz'ologgedgiby liniz. or other foreign matter by rings of flexible material which span the clearances betweenxthe stationary and rotatable members but which do not. cause any appreciable amount of frictional drag between the members.

For a more complete understanding of the invention, reference may b'e had'totthe following description thereof and to the drawing, of whichz.

Figure. .1 .is an elevational vlew of arr embodimentoiffthainvention; p Figure is a section on the line 2-2 of Fig- FigureB is a fragmentary-elevational viewof a IJQIifI I iI f th'e pparatu shown. in; Figure 1,.1this .ontiontbeing shown on a larger-scale withiparts broken. awayzto show in sections v 1 Figure 4 is a section on the line 4-4 of Figure 3.

As indicated in Figure 1, the invention may be embodied in a delivery pipe II] which enters a blending room through a wall l2 thereof. The delivery pipe l terminates in a vertical section 14 which opens downward. If required, suitable supports It may be attached to this end section so as to support it adequately from the ceiling of the blending room. An extension in the form of a pipe elbow I8 is rotatably mounted at the end of the delivery pipe. This pipe elbow curves 90 so that its orifice is adapted to project a horizontal stream of air therefrom. The end section 20 of the elbow may, if desired, be of smaller diam eter than the remainder of the elbow l8, the diameter of the end section 20 being shown as substantially equal to that Of the delivery pipe l0. Thus, the air stream will emerge from the 2 orifice or the l end: section zar-with approximately the sameyelocityl as'iit hadsin the delivery pipe Mi At th'e orifice ofw thev end section 241- I visor or deflector 22: which isl preferably a shortzlip in the; shape or at1lune:extendingmbout:.halisway around the i-rim cofithe-orifice. and-thus; being in the: path. lof. a portion of thel air streamrissuing. from ithe-orifice... This deflector :iaslidablaabmxt the-axis of the sectiontwx andicanibe manually turned; about. as; one; OfyitSl edges :slidesialongzthe end edge oil 1 the. section... By sue-hi sliding; adjusts.- ment, the air stream; can-the; defiectedeat adefinite angle 7 with "IESPGCtiJ-tQt thevJaXis; either findsofith'fl elbowasection 2 Us butin: any; desiredagdi'nectioni firom fibers .toiirota-te thenelbowvby::relativehmsmall.

forces. derived; from: comparatively gentle; lair streamsspecial antiefrictiom ibeariirgs'. :betwsen; the deliveryzpipeandithe elbowrarapnovided such:

' bearings::being1,: intendeuntov .reduce frictional? resistance to asminimunr; Fcrc-thislpurpose; a colila-r 3011s secured tolthe lower-send? of-itl'iezpipeisec tion-FM by any suitable means rsuchas emits-T 32 witlr=wing =nutsii34cthe'renni The collar 'iinih asaat'. itsqlower-end zamoutturnerhradiazlifiange 36. Bro jecting radially from the collar :3fl-at spaccd -inter-- vals andlrins athorizontal plane=:'.are -Ia numberot studsvdl. 1911 each: studii is/rotatably imounted a roller 42, eachmollerbeingl.provided with a of ball bearings between itself and the stud 40 on which it is mounted so that each roller 42 is capable of rotating with a very small frictional resistance. The rollers 42 and their bearings may conveniently be similar to the rollers and bearings on high-grade roller skates. Projecting up from the flange 36 at spaced points near the margin thereof are a number of studs 44 on each of which is rotatably mounted a roller 46 disposed which may be referred to as the lower collar in distinction to the upper collar 30, is secured by means of bolts 5| and wing nuts 52. The lower collar 50 is provided at its upper end with an inturned flange 54. This collar surrounds the flange 36 and is held out of contact therewith by the rollers 46 which project beyond the periphery of the flange 36 and engage the inner wall surface of the collar 50. The inturned flange 54 extends inwardtowardthe outer wa1l surface .of the collar 3,0 but does not touch it; the rollers 46 serving to keep the rim of the flange 54 centered with respect to the collar and out of direct contact therewith. Thus a slight clearance is maintained between the rim of the flange 36 and the adjacent wall surface of the collar 50 and between the rim of the flange 54 and the adjacent wall surface of the collar 30. The flange 54 rests upon the rollers 42 so that these rollers carry the weight of the collar 50 and the elbow l8 which is secured thereto.

As is evident in Figure 3, the flanges 36 and 54, together with adjacent portions of the collars, define a chamber 56 in the shape'of'a ring which contains all of-the rollers 42 and 46. In'order to prevent'the ball bearingsof the rollers 42 and 46 from becoming clogged with lint or other fine dust whichmay be carried into the blending'room by the air stream, the chamber 56 is sealed against the entrance of such foreign matter by suitable packing rings of flexible material which span the clearances-between the collars andflanges. The clearance between the flange 54 and the adjacent surface of the collar 30 isspanned by a strip 58 of felt or other fiexiblematerial which extends around the collar 30 and bears against adjacent surface areas of this collar and the flange 54. In order to maintain this strip inplace, it is preferably secured by an adhesive or otherwise to one or' the other of these members, that is, either to the collar 30 or to-the flange 54p If it is secured to the collar 30, it remains stationarywith a portion thereof in' lightcontact with therotating flange 54, the frictional drag on the flangeresulting'from such contact being negligible.

In like manner a strip 60 of felt or other suitable flexiblematerial is provided to span the clearance between the flange 36 and the adjacent wall of the lower collar 50, this strip 60 being secured either to the flange36 or to the collar 50; the other, portion:of the strip being in light contact with the other member. These strips of felt effectively prevent access of lint or dust to the bearings without offering any appreciable resistance to rotation of the elbow. By reason of the special bearings employed, the elbow rotates-readily in response to small reaction forces from the deflectedrdischargeofthe air stream.

.each said stud with an anti-friction bearing, a series of spaciedfstuds projecting up from said flange near the periphery thereof, a horizontal rollerrotatably mounted on each said upwardly projecting studs, each said horizontal roller having a portion of its periphery projecting slightly beyond the edge of said flange, a lower collar rotatably surrounding said flange and engaging the projecting portions of said roller peripheries, said lower collar having an inturned radial flange at the upper end thereof resting on said vertical rollers, a pipe elbow extension secured to said lower collar and rotatable therewith, and an adjustable deflector at the lower end of said extension.

2. A device'for distributing air-borneflbers'in a blending room, comprising a delivery pipe having a vertical portion opening downward, a radial flange at the open end thereof, a series of radially projecting studs mounted above and near to said flange, a vertical roller rotatably mounted on each said stud, a series of vertical studs projecting up from said flange with a'horizontal roller rotatably mounted on each said vertical stud; each said horizontal roller having a portion of its periphery projecting out beyond said flange, a pipe section rotatably supported by said delivery pipe, said pipe section having an inturned flange at its upper end bearing on said vertical rollers, and flexible sealing strips covering the clearances between the peripheries of said flanges and the pipe Walls adjacent thereto.

- JOSEPH D. DADDARIO. Q

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

" UNITED STATES PATENTS France June 1633 

